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Friday, July 22, 2011

Guest Post: Secrets of a Sample Maker

You ask, we deliver! I mentioned my beloved sample maker friend in this post and there were several requests to hear more of his time-saving industry techniques. So readers: meet Jonathan, my bitchy coworker and fellow sewing nerd. Isn't he adorable? He's quite cranky at times, though, especially when I sew my buttons on by hand. Let's give him some space to vent his frustrations with inefficient home-sewing techniques.

I'd like to thank Gertie for allowing me to present a guest blog this week. Even though she is my at-work girlfriend, we do have our differences about sewing. I remember when we first met. After our casual "how do you do's" and life stories, I asked her how she sews her buttons on. Throughly displeased with her hand-sewing nonsense, I gave her an earful about the benefits of doing it by machine while she would scold me for my love of the blind hemmer.

Needless to say it hasn't been an easy relationship. But as in any good marriage, it wouldn't be fun to marry yourself. I've found myself more willing to slipstitch down my facings. But I'm still angry that I found my girl applying her buttons on by hand behind my back.

Let's talk about seam allowances. First, production patterns are engineered for perfection and speed. Seam allowance differs greatly in production patterns depending on their function and fabric choice. Unlike in home sewing, where 5/8" is the golden rule, standard seam allowance is 3/8" for the most part, possibly ½" if it’s a major fitting seam. Examples of these seams would be the shoulder seams and side seams. This is because the patterns are drafted to fit a specific standard size and 3/8" reduces bulk. Curves are always 3/8", especially armholes. Test it yourself. Stitch a curve at 5/8" and one at 3/8" and you’ll feel the difference, especially when trying to set in a sleeve. Another thing about sewing curves at smaller seam allowance is the elimination of clipping and notching. This is because less bulk allows more tension and compression in the system (the garment), which is the main reason we clip and notch. Any enclosed seam is ¼" of an inch, such as in collars or waistbands. I never understood why home patterns ask you guys to stitch at 5/8 and then cut down to ¼", when you could have just stitched it in the first place at a ¼".

Secondly, don’t pin! Pins are more likely to cause you to be inaccurate. Putting pins in the fabric causes a disturbance in the way the fabric lays, you can see this if you look at your fabric in a profile. Pins can cause your fabric to ripple; increasing your probability of puckering your project. Further, the pins stop the natural progression of the fabric under the presser foot and feed dog mechanism. Which often exacerbates the effect of the different rates of movements of the top and bottom layer of fabric, creating the all-too-familiar mullet pants and skirts. Instead of using pins, hold your left hand flat on the bed of the machine, on top of your fabric. With your right hand, hold both layers between your forefingers and thumb and providing slight tension. You are not stretching the fabric, but rather holding it nice and taut so the cut edges sit on top of one another, and the machine is allowed to naturally pull the fabric through.

Let's talk interfacings. One thing I notice a lot in designer rooms is a lot more use of interfacings in the production of garments than in home sewing. Hems are almost always interfaced with a lightweight fusible, which helps with getting a firm, crisp edge and to help with wear and tear. I also like to use lightweight interfacing to stop fabric from buckling in places such as the back and under the bust area. Also, nothing is ever stay-stitched as pattern directions tell you to do; rather a light to medium weight interfacing is applied before construction. So the interfacing would be akin to a facing pattern piece, but about ½" and inch to an inch wide.

These are the things I bitch about the most at work. What else do you monsters want?

Again, thanks, Gertrude, for allowing me to enter your space, with my crazy factory techniques and get 'er done attitude. I promise I'll work on leaving the presser foot down.

A big thanks to Jonathan! Please leave any more questions for him in the comments.

101 comments:

2. I'm intrigued about the (not) pinning. I can see it working for a reasonably straight line, but I have a feeling when going around curves my fabrics would be shifting around quite a bit. Any chance of a video showing the setup, feeding through the machine, etc?

I agree with most of your techniques except for buttons. I will continue to sew dress shirt buttons on by hand until the day a machine can sew a cross pattern with the thread and fashion thread around the thread created shank automatically. And that machine better be fast because I can sew a button on in less than two minutes.

I'm not following your interface vs slip stitch technique. I would be interested in hearing more on that.

Loved your post. Agree with all but the hand sewing.I love to sew by hand, so I'm not going to toss those techniques in this lifetime.A good hand sewn button with a custom shank to fit the depth of the buttonhole?? Can't beat that.Unless it is with a hand picked zipper!!! Zen sewing in my opinion.Keep the tips & ideas coming!

Awesome article. It was very helpful. I was wondering if we could get a visual about the using interfacing instead of staystitching/instead of facings (?) part. I do not enjoy making facings. I am new to sewing so forgive me if I'm confused about that.

Love this post. Whenever I get a free minute at work I like to watch our sample makers sew, and the pattern makers drape. (I'm a tech at a suit company) I'd love to hear more from your sample maker!

I think part of the no pins thing is helped by the use of notches in production patterns. They have notches to mark the seam allowances at the corners (or they have clipped corners that serve the same purpose) Make sure your seam notches are matching as well.

This is so wierd for me... I went to a 3 year high school (think that is the equivilent) to learn how to make ladies clothing. Golden rule there is always 1cm (3/8") seam allowense exept when the allowense where to be turned in (like turned in inside a waist band) when you only use 0.5cm (2/8")I have never figured why use more as it's only hard to sew and gets bulky unless you cut it off.

And pinning! Yes, I pin, BUT I have aleast an inch between each pin. Else the fabric does not "flow" right in the mashine like you say. Also I thing I learnt from my teachers.

I never figured it to be different, but perhaps the US/Europe thing explanes it.. (I'm from Sweden)

Goodness knows, I've sewn buttons on by machine, but I never do it when I want buttons to be able to hold up to extremes of wear and tear.

Instead, I'm dedicated to hand-sewing any and all metal buttons, those at stress points, and all buttons on clothes for tots.

I have, however, adapted a machine technique to my button applications: the backtack.

Once upon a time, I noticed that some buttons would start to pull at the thread, no matter how well I fastened the thread after the last loop. As he thread tails lengthened, I found it was only a matter of time before the loose ends worked even looser, and before I knew it, the button was gone.

Enter the back-tack (hand stitching style). After an ample number of loops in one direction, I take a quick stitch through the fabric in the opposite direction, then make a loop or too widershins before tying off.

I've had friends comment that baby gifts I've made are the only with buttons they didn't worry about having their little ones "discover" as teething toys. For myself, I've never had a button pop off, as is so common with ready to wear.

Sitting in front of the Boob Tube while I build these indestructible closures, the time and effort flies by as I indulge in the certainty that I'll never pop by bust buttons with pride or anything else.

But it's all a matter of perspective: on a loosely fitted garment, or on the tab-curtains I just made, I don't so much care about durability, so I'll go for the machine stitched option without qualms.

To me, it's all a matter of the ends justifying the means. Once I know what my ends are, I'm happy to have a wide variety of means at my disposal to ensure that the outcome fits both my long and short-term needs.

I'm not very keen to pin my fabrics for every single seam and thought of myself as a 'bad' lazy seamstress whenever I skipped this step and simply put my two pieces of fabric under the pressing foot. Now I won't feel guilty anymore, thank you!

thanks for such a wonderfully informative post. I suppose the pattern companies do a 5/8 seam allowance so we can have room for adjustments if something goes wrong. just my 2 cents. I will have to try sewing without pinning.

Awesome info! Thanks for the tips. Would love a photo (video even better) of how you hold and feed the fabric with no pins. Also a little confused on the interfacing part (self-taught sewer...not always sure of terminology and technique). Super great post! Thanks

Thanks for the post. I want to learn more about interfacing in non-home-sewing-standard-places.

I dropped pins years ago because pulling them out as I went was just getting annoying. The trick, for me, is to put the convex curve (e.g. the sleeve shoulder) on top of the concave curve (e.g. the bodice arm hole). That way I can see the concave curve underneath and pull the convex curve to fit along with it as I go.

My seam allowance has always been the width of the pressure foot out of sheer laziness to pay attention to those little lines. Probably why I always cut smaller sizes of stuff.

I went to a sewing studio to brush up on my skills. I went to sew something without pins and you'd of thought the teacher's head was going to explode. Nice to hear from other "non-pinners." Perhaps we should start a support group?

Jonathon, you are so right. I have spent my sewing teaching career explaining industry methods to home sewers converting them to the faster and more satisfying industry techniques. Sewers with 40 years experience always walk away saying "I wish I had known this information many years ago!"Janet Praywww.islandersewing.com

Wonderful post! I was taught to sew by my grandmother, a seamstress in a union shop specializing in those lovely mid century couture garments we all covet so much! I was taught never to pin, because it damages high end fabrics. Pattern weights for cutting, and hand basting inside the seam allowances for all but straight seams. I was also taught that seam allowances should be 3/8" and pinked or trimmed after sewing to reduce bulk.We disagree when it comes to hand sewing, however! In my grandmother's world a dress could be made completely by hand, but not completely by machine. She was an artist with a needle! Great post; thanks for sharing!

No pins here! I took a great class from an industry sewist and wow! The world is a different place. Everything you said is what she said. Sure made projects go quicker.

RE: no pins. I hugely suggest you do a quick video to show your hand position on 1) a straight seam and then 2) on seams where the curve is the same and opposite. I.e. both concave, then one concave and one convex. If the fabric is uncooperative, I'll put a pin or two in, but it really does work without most of the time, especially with the smaller seam allowance. It is hard to visualize if you've never done it. Such a timesaver.

Gotta say though, that "industry-you" may use a machine to put the buttons on, but I'll be having to hand sew them back on 5 minutes after I buy the garment off the rack. :)

I already pin as little as possible, and more to mark darts and right side of fabric than to hold pieces together. What about cutting out? Do you prefer shears or a rotary cutter? Does your place use the big knives for stacked cutting, and then deliver pieces to sewists? Hand-stitched buttons for me, as a home sewist -- don't have a commercial machine, thus NOT a reliable sew-on. If I have to apply glue to hold the stitches in place, it's cheating. And yucky.

Nice to hear a voice in the sewing blog world suggesting to get things done the easy way instead of being slaves to some 1950's haute-couture technique that no one in the "real world" gives a toss about or will ever notice. Keep em coming!

Thanks, Jonathan! I agree with you. While I admire Gertie's commitment to hand-sewing, I simply don't have time for it. I like to do as much as possible on the machine, including the blind hemmer. My mother taught me to hem by hand, but as soon as I discovered that my machine had a hem foot, I made the switch. I will hand sew a hem only if it is a *really* important garment. But I'll have to disagree with you on the button thing. I've tried using the machine to stitch on buttons, but I can't seem to get the tension right, or I find that they fall off too soon. Any advice for that?

I can't think of any further questions because I am in a swoon. Intelligent, opinionated, and irresistibly charming is what Jonathan is.

Those are a lot of excellent ideas, and the benefits seem obvious once someone points them out. I have been brainwashed by reading home-sewing pattern instructions for 40 years, and it just doesn't occur to me to do anything differently. So I thank you and Jonathan for giving us alternatives.

And at the risk of causing more teeth-grinding, I will continue to hand-sew my buttons because the time it takes to get the fabric and the button lined up properly in the machine and the stress of wondering whether the needle will hit the button, break the button, break the needle, put someone's eye out, etc. is just too much.

A couple of days ago I finished a muslin of a man's shirt and - inspired by Gerties post on buttons - I used the dedicated button presser foot of my machine and the automatic backtacking function it has. But what do I do with the loose threads? I threaded the ones on top of the button, created a shank (the presser foot leaves the threads loose for that purpose) then pulled them to the left side of the garment and knotted them with the spool threads. Is there any better/quicker way?I loved your post and hope you have many more secrets of industry techniques to share.

I gave up pinning a while ago when I got tired of stopping for them on the sewing machine. I would like more information about interfacing too. I'm a visual person so I need to "see" it. I do lots of hand sewing because I love it. I won't give it up, but it's nice to know that I have an option. I do have a question about sewing without pins with gathering. I make a lot of garments with gathering and I would love to be able to do it without accidental bunching or pleating. Any suggestions?

Hi! Great post - thanks! Any thoughts on finding a great sample maker to work with? I'm starting my own line and am looking for extra hands and I'd love to advance my own sample making knowledge from what I already know! Thanks again.

Can you explain how you use interfacing to make the crisp hem on a garment? I would love a brief tutorial on that. Also, do you have to have a "high-tech" super machine to put buttons on? Don't you run the risk of breaking your needle on the button if it doesn't go straight through? I'd definitely love to hear how that works. Thanks! Great post!

I usually don't make it to a post a second time to read the comments, but this is such a great topic that I just had to!@Kristen- have you considered 'hiring' an intern in college? I think that some of the best and brightest look to work with a new designer where they can be more hands on rather than an established line where they might end up as a gopher. You would get the benefit of their brand new education, and save on production costs, allowing you to charge a lower price for the finished product. Just a thought ~ good luck!

I have a question. I would love to sew using the 3/8ths seam allowance. How can I do that using home sewing patterns. Do I need to choose a smaller size.

Also, Jonathan, would you consider starting up your own blog or You Tube video series where you teach step by step the industry techniques that you know or maybe you could be a regular guest poster for awhile on Gertie's blog, do a little series?

FABULOUS information! Thanks for sharing! I HATE pinning, so I try to get away without it as often as possible! I'm printing out and posting the seam allowance information so that I can test this out for myself - sounds intriguing! And interfacing a hem? WOW! I'm working on a dress right now and I'm gonna try this one out! Yea - I'm so excited!

Awesome post! Thanks! I've taken to only pinning where absolutely necessary because I finally discovered for myself that sometimes it's just easier to hold the fabric, like when I was making a wedding dress for a friend out of Vogue 1084. . . those side bodice/waist seams were so much easier to do without pinning. I also hate the stupid "sew this seam allowance and then cut it off" business. Too many steps.

Hi guys! What I was talking about interfacing in the hem is fusing a small rectangle of interfacing the same width as your hem depth. This provides stability for the hem and creates a nice crisp hem once pressed. You may deepen the interfacing past the hem line a small portion to act as a wigam. You can then slipstitch catching the wigam only and not the shell or main fabric

I'll talk to Gertie about doing a video. Thanks guys. I'm really not that awful. :)

Got any tips for sewing gathered skirts onto bodices/waistbands? Like Gertie once mentioned, I always have to hand baste it first to get the gathers to come out right. If I sew it by machine without basting, the gathers end up looking more like dysfunctional baby pleats. Why? Your method?

Wow! Jonothan.....you are a breath of fresh air(No offense gertie, he is the breath, you are the perfume) and thanks for all that info. Mind F.....no pins?!Brilliant! My husband hates them...finds them migrating all over the house to eventually end in his foot.Please. more ! More about interfacing and it's possible applications in sewing(although I work metric, so working inches and Fractions of inches is doing my head in..) Bravo ,Jonothan...nice post.written in the direct style of a male brain.Please come again.

Great tips thank you! I will be giving the no pinning a go. Anything that helps add speed right now. I have such limited time if it can improve my speed I will try it. my mum rarely used pins and she could wip up a tailored jacket in no time.

Thank you Johnathon. I'm a Lutterloh fan so changing the seam allowances according to the need will be easy enough for me. You have given me the push to break away from the 5/8" rule. Who started that anyway?? I always use interfacing around my hem line, but who thought to use it as a stay-stitching alternative? Love that idea and I will give it a try on my next garment. Not sure about tossing the pins yet! I always place mine horizontally to the seam line and can't see myself changing that any time soon, but you never know!

I enjoyed this. I've seen people put in invisible zippers and do other kinds of sewing without pins, but it requires a lot of skill.

Jonathan:

What's your garment construction background? How long have you been sewing? How far did you get in flat pattern making and draping? Did you take classes or get a degree? How many garments do you think you've made in your life?What sewing machines have you owned?Do you think home sewers under- or over-estimate the difficulty of high-level sewing?What aspects of commercial garment construction do you think home sewers understand the least?What do you think of the state of the garment industry?What are your own aspirations? Are you happy creating samples, or is there something else you'd like to do in the future?

For a pattern in which the 5/8" SAs are included, you would trace the pattern and subtract the 5/8" to get the sewing line. Then you would add back the 3/8" SA on the newly traced pattern. I personally think it's easier to deal with just the sewing line.

If I change the SAs, I use 1", 1/2" or 1/4" because they're easier to add.

People should remember that a bigger SA makes sense if you're making a one-off garment that may need adjusting beyond the muslin stage. It's similar to the concept of leaving "inlays" at certain places in a draft in tailoring.

You can always cut away excess. You can't add fabric.

It should be remembered (I assume) that Jonathan is making up a garment from a pattern that scores of sewers are supposed to be able to follow. He may ID problems with the pattern and make refinements for the pattern maker to incorporate. The pattern he gets is supposed to be in very good, if not great shape. It's going to be a pattern for production sewing.

I imagine she was exaggerating to make a point, but Kathleen Fasanella, a pattern maker, wrote that the final pattern in production sewing should be essentially idiot-proof. You shouldn't need to know how to sew to put it together correctly. You could be blind and sew it (apparently, there are blind sewers).

As I said, I've enjoyed this post, but I don't find it particularly intimidating or all that relevant to my work as a self-sewer. I don't sew for a living, so the chances that I'll develop Jonathan's skill are slim-to-none, although I certainly admire it.

In addition, I'm not interested in sewing in the fastest way just to be fast. I'm more concerned with sewing in the best way for me to get the results I want given my background.

Finally, sewing professionals differ greatly in how they work. Someone in a couture house pins and bastes.

I love this. It really is tons easier sewing with 3/8" seams... or even 1/4". It's genius for sleeves. I've never needed the extra allowance, unless doing a French seam. Also pins... takes some getting used to but I'm liking it more and more, not having pins... don't know if anyone else has seen this, but here is a blog showing how to sew curves (sleeve-setting) without pins, from a patternmaker.

@Trudy, you don't need to go with a smaller size. If the pattern already has 5/8", I use a clear ruler to mark off 1/4" inside the pattern.

Doing a bit of a happy dance over the idea of not HAVING to pin every little thing. Permission to be my lazy self. Please...more about the interfacing. Love, love, love the tip on interfacing a hem. Of course! Can't really picture the interfacing solution for fabric buckling issue you describe, though.

What's your garment construction background? I started as a home sewer when I was 6, and when I moved to NYC I worked as a line sewer then worked my way up to a sample maker.

How long have you been sewing? About 14 years or so

How far did you get in flat pattern making and draping? I can draft and grade professional level patterns.

Did you take classes or get a degree? I started as a fashion major at Parsons but hated it. So I've taken classes but most of my knowledge was gained through working in the industry.

How many garments do you think you've made in your life? Oh god. Between ages 6 and 18 probably 25 or so? After 18, I don't want to even think about it. I probably average 10-20 per week, but I'm crazy fast, even for a professional.

What sewing machines have you owned? A kenmore from the 60's and a Singer prelude.

Do you think home sewers under- or over-estimate the difficulty of high-level sewing? Yes. Highly. Most home sewers don't know he variety of machines we have at our finger tips to complete things with. However, I will admit that the fabrics are intimidating.

What aspects of commercial garment construction do you think home sewers understand the least? The sheer amount of trial and error that goes into making a garment perfect. I find that a lot of people assume that if they buy the correct size pattern, that it must fit perfectly or near so, and then become discouraged or are too afraid to play around with alterations.

What do you think of the state of the garment industry?I wish things from factories were better quality and that more people loved what they did.

What are your own aspirations? Are you happy creating samples, or is there something else you'd like to do in the future?

I love making samples! I mean c'mon, I get to sew pretty dresses and work with fabric I could never afford. :)

I'm working now on starting my own pattern company, which has been my dream for years.

Thanks for the comments about not using pins! I mostly use them to keep pieces from flying everywhere when I'm moving a freshly cut project around. When I set down at the machine to sew the pins come out.

It's something I've always felt odd about because my Mom is a fan of pins.

Loved this post! I would love to learn to sew faster! Being a mom of little kids with not enough time in the day, any tips and tricks are welcome! Would love pics/tutorials/videos on the topic!Thanks so much!

Great post! I studied apparel design at a school that made us learn "factory style" (no pins, etc) and it really does improve efficiency. I agree with other posters that some hand-sewing techniques still have a place, it's just about finding the balance that works for you.

Good post!I am however not convinced on the no-pins-approach. I understand when you have delicate chiffon (which ironically is hard to sew without pins because it tends to shift around, but using pind can make the fabric tear.) As many other commentators have asked: A quick video to show us? It can be a reoccuring feature blog on your blog, like "This week's secret by the sample maker". Also, it would be fun to see more of his work.

I am certainly going to give Jonathan's recommendations a try especially the use of lightweight interfacing and seam allowance to sewing in sleeves. Thanks Jonathan for all the great tips, however, I too am a handsewing button sewer...sorry...LOL

Adding to the long list of folks who want more. More visuals, more insider secrets, more of this fine writing! It says something when 69 ( as I write this) people agree...a star is born. Thanks Gertie!

I love combing everything I learn. I've made my husband a few Hawaiian shirts using The Islander pattern and method - that is all about adapting production techniques to home sewing.I'm learning so much from the bombshell dress about couture.

Not a purist - simply love as many techniques as possible at my finger tips.

Wonderful post!!! Peggy Sagers of Silhouette Patterns drafts all her patterns with a 3/8 inch seam allowance. Peggy has a background in industrial sewing techniques. Also, she taught us to use a 3 mm stitch length instead of 2.5. She said nobody uses 2.5 in a factory.

omg i have ALWAYS thought, why sew a seam at the width the pattern recommends and then cut it down?? why not sew it smaller in the first place? hullo?! excellent to hear someone else say the same thing. i will still always hand sew buttons on though. each to their own i guess. cheers for a fun, interesting read :)

A delightful post! Gertie, I'm so glad you had your work-husband let us in on the secrets of the trade. I am not a huge fan of pins myself. I will admit, I felt pretty lazy recently when I made my Crepe dress-- I used small strips of fusible interfacing to stay the sweetheart neckline. I was thinking it would work OK, but didn't know I had stumbled upon a trade secret! Truth is, it is the very nicest, most smooth and crisp neckline I've ever sewn. So try it, sewists! Would love to hear more from you, Jonathan.

Perhaps I've worked in the wrong industry to get the most out of Jonathan's advice, but my experience in the costuming industry doesn't lend itself to a lot of manufacturing techniques...

I understand it's comparing apples and oranges (essentially) and yes there are indeed a lot of manufacturing methods that could lend themselves to effective home sewing approaches, but aren't these techniques sorta limited to more contemporary garments? With the trend of building retro and historically-inspired clothing growing more and more common, and the interest in period construction techniques, and sewing skills increasing to more and more complicated garments (as more and more people desire to learn how to sew)?

I guess I'm struggling to figure out how to apply these methods to my own experience... Do we run the risk of losing, in the long run, the capability of assembling more complicated garments in favor of easier construction techniques?

I'm not trying to criticize AT ALL, and I certainly don't mean to offend ANYone. I'm just curious... At what point does ease of assembly guide design? And is that even something that needs to be considered?

I very much enjoyed your sewing tips! Thanks, Jonathan.I had already learned about using pattern weights when cutting fabric, but I particularly liked your description of feeding fabric through the machine. I must practice that.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my numerous questions. I figured you had great experience, although I didn't realize you were a mere "chiyald." :-)

I did get the joke about the presser foot position.

Trudy Callan:

After I posted, I thought, Why didn't I tell her to simply subtract 1/4" from the cutting line to get the 3/8", as the other commenter said? I use a clear ruler to mark the sewing line, but if you have a tape measure that is the exact width of the distance you need to mark you can lay that along the pattern cutting lines.

Home sewing and commercial sewing are worlds apart. There are things I see sewing bloggers doing and I think 'why! There is a faster and easier way!' But I have also learnt and incorperated many tips and tricks of the home sewing world to my industry sewing world.

I sew because I love it and it is nice to know there are other industry workers who feel the same.

I find the world of production sewing fascinating as well. But let's not forget Jonathan's allusion to the many specialized machines to which a sample maker has access. I'm sure he and other sample makers at times outsource certain tasks to specialists. It's more cost-effective, and the job will be done better.

I'm not a snob about processes. Time is short and I'm willing to do whatever gets the job done well. But in part because my equipment and workspace are limited and I'm not mass producing clothes, I find the bench tailor/couturier/ière model a little more applicable.

Many aspects of custom clothes can't be duplicated in RTW because of the cost. A lot of the hand work isn't done out of a sense of snobbery but because it affords more control in the construction process and a more subtle effect than one could get from a machine.

But I'm always happy to learn from any valuable source. For example, I like to use rotary cutters for certain tasks, although I don't think most traditional tailors use them. I assume rotary cutters were adapted from the cutting machines used in RTW. Again, production sewers use the cutting line, not the sewing line as the guide, so the cut edge has to be perfect.

i love all of this advice... you freed me from so many things that really annoy me, thanks! i'm a little confused about making a different seam allowance than called for, i'll have to get better at making muslins so the fit is just right!

1) The protect the integrity of the garment, that is, providing some leeway so if the seam is ripped the garment won't fall apart and possibly can be sewn back again;

and

2) To permit future alterations if the wearer gains weight.

If you're doing muslins, you can make the final SAs whatever width you want, depending on what your plans are and your need to reduce bulk or save fabric. Curved areas tend to have narrower SAs to make them easier to sew and clip and to accommodate things like bindings and facings.

I am liberating myself from pins starting, NOW....I hate pinning but I have always felt I had to do it. It's like I have been indoctrinated, but I'm not sure by who. I try to pin as little as possible when cutting out pattern pieces as that totally distorts the shape but with construction I've just gone along with the perceived status quo, no more I say. I would love to see a post on interfacing. There are sooo many different types, weights, etc.. I wish I knew which to use for which application and fabric type instead of just winging it all the time.

Anyone interested in learning production sewing & pattern practices really needs to visit http://www.fashion-incubator.com. Seriously! Check out the blog archives. Kathleen Fasanella knows what she's talking about, and many of the people who hang around her site are industry professionals as well.

Her "Tutorials" tab is amazing, especially the zipper tutorials. Oh, and the jacket bagging tutorial - incredible. Most of her stuff is fairly technical, but it's a great way to learn. I spent a year reading each and every one of her blog posts, bought her book, and am STILL reading through all of the member forum posts (a bonus with the book!)

Careful when leaping straight to pin freedom. When I did that, without first learning how to not pull at the fabric, my seams rippled all over the place! (But I don't pull at the fabric! Oh yes I did. . .I had to un-learn years of subtle pulling to counter the bad effects of the pins!) Seriously, scrap fabric first, or something you can stick in the guest room once you notice the ripply seams.

I've been sewing since I was a little girl and was taught by my tailor grandmother. So I've never really overused pins and always loved what a good selection of interfacing can do.

If you readers want tutorials or videos please check out the brillant Margaret Islander (may she rest in peace) series - she was teaching factory sewing methods to home sewers many years ago. You can buy them on Amazon.com or possibly ebay, or rent them on smartflix.com. Also check out the Fashion Incubator blog by Kathleen Fasanella http://www.fashion-incubator.com/blog/ for information and training in commercial style sewing.

If you want to sew couture, that's a whole different story, but I always want to get it done and wear it as quickly as I can while still getting a quality garment! :)

Just a note to @Relished Artistry, I think when doing vintage inspired designs we can use combinations of techniques. There's always a moment where you'll say "I could do this easier by hand" and so you should. I've done quite a few costumes too and it really depends on what it's for, don't you think? I mean a stage costume being seen from 20 feet away isn't going to be the same as a reproduction costume for a reinactor. Just a thought.

This is the best sewing advice I have read in...forever! My current project is turning out extremely well thanks to taking the seam allowances down to 1/4 inch! I have never had my garment pieces line up so well. Thanks so much. I still need a little more explanation on using interfacing in backs and busts! maybe another guest post?

thanks so much for this post!!life savers honestly I've been sewing 120 chair covers for weeks. I can get around 6 to 10 covers a day with pining.... but on monday after reading this post I decided to try the no pinning approach, result!! 17 chair covers done in one day and now I've finished them all (literally cut my time in half) thank you sooooo much x

The actual reason for a 5/8" seam allowance is for French Seaming, which is the "gold standard" for hand made garments. The idea of using a lightweight fusible, isn't new to me but still makes me think of many new possibilities. TY!

Hello Jonathan! How are shirt collars sewn on industrial-made shirts? I am having a hard time explaining my problem, but here is a try:When I attach the collar to the actual shirt, the very front spots, where the center front is, get incredibly bulky. When I take a look at store bought shirts, that spot looks very smooth and not bulky at all. I tried grading the seams but I never get an acceptable result. Since it gets to bulky, I ruin the topmost buttonhole!

When I worked as a seamstress for Disney, I was told to use a straight, regular ol' razor blade to do my seam ripping. This made everything SO much faster! I even use it at home now, instead of a seam ripper.

Chrissy:When you sew the shirt collar, you must trim the seam allowances down everywhere before turning. Also, you must topstitch or understitch (which I prefer) the collar base to get that smooth, flat finish. Using a point turner can help get nice, crisp points and corners. :)